How to Get Rid of a Campfire Smell With Essential Oils

After an extended camping excursion or a night near a smoky campfire, your clothes and belongings may smell strongly of smoke. Though it may smell sweet or even remind you of your trip, it is a cloying smell that can be annoying over time. Fortunately, campfire smoke is not hard to cover and remove from your belongings, and you can remove the smell while on the trip or once you've returned home.

Things You'll Need

• Spray bottle
• Vinegar
• Essential oils
• Tent stakes
• Cotton balls

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Instructions

Removing Campfire Smoke from Tent and Gear

• 1

  Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to a half-quart spray bottle and fill with water. Add a 3 to 4 drops of your favorite essential oil to the spray bottle. Lightly shake the spray bottle to mix the ingredients.

• 2

  Remove the rain fly from your tent and stake it flat on the grass, in full sun. Set up the tent in a sunny location with plenty of air circulation. Open all of the window and door flaps in the tent for maximum ventilation.

• 3

  Lay out gear such as your backpack, shoes, bedding and clothing on the floor of the tent.

• 4

  Spray the rain fly with the vinegar/water/essential oil solution a few times, using care not to saturate the fabric.

• 5

  Spritz the solution inside the tent, aiming at the walls and screen of the tent. Use care to avoid saturating the fabric and seams.

• 6

  Spray your gear and bedding lightly. Lay each piece out flat inside the tent and allow them to dry.

• 7

  Allow the rain fly, tent and gear to dry for 2 to 3 hours or until the spray solution has dried completely.

• 8

  Place a few drops of essential oils on 3 to 4 cotton balls. Place the cotton balls inside the compartments of the tent, within the backpack and in shoes to deodorize.

Removing Campfire Smoke from Laundry

• 9

  Place your camping clothing in a washing machine and start the washer. Stop the washer when it has filled, but before it begins to agitate.

• 10

  Add 1/4 cup of vinegar and 3 to 4 drops of your favorite essential oil to the water. Start the washer again.

• 11

  Allow the washer to complete its normal washing cycle. Transfer to a dryer or allow the clothing to air dry on a clothesline.